Metal cleaning and pickling machine and conveyer system therefor



Dec. 25, 1951 w. HERDLEIN 2,579,575

METAL CLEANING AND PICKLING MACHINE AND CONVEYER SYSTEM THEREFOR FiledNOV. 10, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l W. HERDLEIN METAL CLEANING AND PICKLINGMACHINE AND Dec. 25, 1951 CONVEYER SYSTEM THEREFOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2Filed Nov. 10, 1949 .v I e e Z a d a an a 4 a.

Patented Dec. 25, 1951 METAL CLEANING AND PICKLING MACHINE AND CONVEYERSYSTEM THEREFOR Wallace Herdlcin, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 10, 1949, Serial No. 126,668

'1 Claims.

This invention relates to metal-cleaning and pickling machines orapparatus in which acids and other chemicals are used in the cleaningand treating operations, some thereof being usually applied by spraying.

Due to the corrosive or other damaging action of the chemicals used theconveyors for transporting the metal articles to be treated through themachine are subject to rapid deterioration when they are mounted insidethe enclosure of the machine or apparatus. On the other hand, if theconveyor mechanism is located for the most part on the outside of theenclosure the escape of gases and fumes from the treating materialsthrough the conveyor opening results in the loss of active chemicals andcreates objectionable atmospheric conditions.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide for locating themost of the conveyor apparatus outside the enclosure hile preventing theescape of fumes and gases from the latter. This is accomplished by meansof what I call an hydro-hermetic seal at the conveyor opening as will belater described.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational and longitudinal sectional view of apickling machine or apparatus in which my invention is embodied; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken substantially on thesection line 22 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings the general apparatus comprising the washing andpickling machine is not shown in detail since this apparatus forms nopart of the present invention. It will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various operations are performed at different stages in along enclosure which customarily is doubled back upon itself so as toprovide room for housing the various stages in which the metal articlesare treated, rinsed and dried.

I have shown simply, and in fragmentary form, a housing II havingopenings I2 and I3 at the entrance and exit ends thereof, respectively,with a spraying apparatus, generally indicated at I4, in the interiorthereof. The housing may be supported on a suitable substructure I5 andthe spraying apparatus is supplied from pipes IE leading from suitablepumping apparatus II, the flow being controlled by the customary valves,such as those shown at I8. The material used for spraying or as a bath,at least that at certain of the stages, is acid which gives off strongfumes or gases which have a damaging effect upon the ordinary metallicportions of the apparatus and tend to 'pollute the atmosphere in whichthe apparatus is located if they are allowed to escape.

For conveying the metallic articles to be treated, two of which,identified by the reference numeral I9, are shown in the drawings, aconveyor mechanism is provided, the principal parts of which are locatedabove the enclosure II. Such mechanism comprises a fixed supportingmember 2| which may be in the form of an Ibeam, a chain 22 and trolleys23 connected to said chain and riding on the rail or support 2 I. Eachof said trolleys has a depending member 24 provided with a bifurcatedend 25 in which there is secured, as by a bolt 26, an artiole-supportingmember 21 which has a hook 28 at its lower end upon which may besupported a link 29 provided with a hook 31 at its lower extremity uponwhich the article, which may be a metal tray or other fabricatedproduct, is supported.

In the top of the enclosure I I there is an opening or slot 32 throughwhich the conveyor member 21 extends. Integral with or connected to thematerial of the top enclosure wall at one side of the slot I provide atrough 33 having a free edge or side wall and being suitably formed atits ends, as indicated at 35 and 36, to cause it to hold a body of wateror other liquid, identified by the reference numeral 31. Suitable means(not shown) may be provided for sup-plying Water to this trough and forremoving it therefrom, and, if desired, a continuous flow of the watercould of course be arranged for.

The trough 33 may, if desired, be constructed as a separate removableelement and bolted or otherwise attached to the wall of the enclosure IIso that the trough may be removed for ready cleaning, repair orreplacement.

The part of the top wall of the enclosure at the side of the slot 32opposite that at which the trough 33 is supported has a downwardlyturned flange 38 extending into the body of water 31 when the trough 33is filled, thereby providing a liquid seal, which I have termed anhydro-hermetic seal, closing the slot 32 against escape of fumes andgases.

The member 2! has an offset portion 39 which extends downwardly into theliquid and is then turned laterally, as indicated at 49, upwardly, asindicated at 42, laterally, as indicated at 43, and downwardly, asindicated at 44, thus providing a r 3 U-shaped component extendingaround the flange 38. Said member is again bent laterally at 45 beneaththe trough 33 and the hook 253 is formed in said last-mentioned lateralportion of said supporting member.

The rail 2! is dipped at the entrance end of the machine, as indicatedat it, to cause the conveyor trolley and the member 2? to movedownwardly at this point, thereby causing the U- shaped portion of themember 2i to dip into the liquid in the trough Conversely, said rail hasa rise 41 therein at the exit end of the machine to cause said U-shapedportion of the member 2'? to rise out of the liquid and clear the troughat the exit end of the apparatus. 7

While I have shown the apparatus only in general outline it will beunderstood that in practice the interior of the enclosure H, the trough33 and the conveyor member 21, or at least the part thereof whichextends into the interior of the enclosure, may be covered with rubberor other suitable coating, or such elements may consist of suitablesteel or other material which will withstand the action of the chemicalsor of heat, in case the invention is employed in a furnace or otherapparatus in which the articles are heat treated. In this connection itmay be pointed out that it is contemplated that the construction of myinvention may be utilized not only in metal cleaning and picklingmachines but in any apparatus where because of fumes or heat it isdesirable to seal a conveyor mechanism or other article-supportingelements away from the interior of the machine and to prevent escape offumes, gases or heat therefrom.

The trough 33 may extend the entire length of the apparatus, thussealing the conveyor opening or slot throughout its length. This greatlyincreases the processing efficiency at each stage. It prevents the lossof active chemical fumes, reduces ventilating requirements to a minimumand eliminates the necessity for a tremendous intake of air through anopen conveyor slot.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly aspermissible in View of the prior art.

I claim:

' 1. In a metal-cleaning and pickling machine, an enclosure throughwhich the metal articles to be treated are passed and within which theyare treated, a conveyor for transporting such articles through saidenclosure, means outside the enclosure for supporting said conveyor, awall of the enclosure having a lengthwise slot therein and said conveyorhaving an article-supporting member adapted to extend through said slotand formed with an offset intermediate portion, a trough adjacent saidslot arranged to contain a liquid through which the oifset portion ofsaid conveyormember may pass, and means cooperating with said slot andtrough whereby the liquid in the trough provides an hydro-hermetic sealto prevent escape of gases or fumes through said 'slot.

2. In a metal-cleaning and pickling machine,

an enclosure through which the metal articles to said conveyorhavinganarticle-supporting memher adapted to extend through said slotand formed with an offset intermediate portion, and a trough formed insaid wall on one side of said slot and arranged to contain a liquidthrough which the offset portion of said conveyor member may pass, theedge of said wall on the other side of said slot extending into suchliquid and the liquid providing an hydro-hermetic seal to prevent escapeof gases or fumes through said slot.

3. In a metal-cleaning and pickling machine, an enclosure through whichthe metal articles to be treated are passed and in which they aretreated, a conveyor for transporting such articles through saidenclosure, means outside the enclosure for supporting said conveyor, awall of the enclosure having a lengthwise slot therein and said conveyorhaving an article-supporting member adapted to extend through said slotand formed with an oiiset intermediate portion, a trough adjacent saidslot arranged to contain a liquid through which the offset portion ofsaid conveyor member may pass, and means cooperating with said slot andtrough whereby the liquid in the trough provides an hydro-hermetic sealto prevent escape of gases or fumes through said slot, said outsideconveyor supporting means comprising a trolley having a dip therein atthe entrance to the enclosure and a rise therein at the exit therefromwhereby said article-support= ing member of the conveyor will be causedto dip into the liquid at such entrance and to rise therefrom at suchexit.

4. In a metal-cleaning and pickling machine, an enclosure through whichthe metal articles to be treated are passed and in which they aretreated, a conveyor for transporting such arti cles through saidenclosure/means outside the enclosure for supporting said conveyor, awall of the enclosure having a lengthwise slot therein and said conveyorhaving an article-supporting member adapted to extend through said slotand provided with an intermediate portion of gooseneck formation, atrough adjacent said slot arranged to contain a liquid through which thegooseneck portion of said conveyor member may pass, and meanscooperating'with said slot and trough whereby the liquid in the troughprovides an hydro-hermetic seal to prevent escape of gases or fumesthrough said slot.

5. In a metal-cleaning and pickling machine, an enclosure through whichthe metal articles to be treated are passed and in which they aretreated, a conveyor movably mounted above said enclosure fortransporting such articles through the enclosure with most of theconveyor structure on the outside thereof, a wall of the enclo surehaving a lengthwise slot therein and said conveyor havingarticle-supporting members suspended therefrom and adapted to extendthrough said slot, each said member having an offset portion, a troughadjacent said slot arranged to contain a liquid through which the ofisetportion of said article-supporting members may pass, and meanscooperating with said slot and trough whereby the liquid in the troughprovides an hydro-hermetic seal to prevent escape of gases or fumesthrough said slot.

6. In a metal-cleaning and picklingmachine, an enclosure through whichthe metal articles to be treated are passed and in which they aretreated, a conveyor movably mounted above said enclosure fortransporting such articles through the enclosure with most of theconveyor structure on the outside thereof, a wall of the enclosurehaving a lengthwise slot therein and said conveyor havingarticle-supporting members suspended therefrom and adapted to extendthrough said slot, and a trough adjacent said slot arranged to contain aliquid through which a portion of said article-supporting members maypass. such liquid providing an hydro-hermetic seal to prevent escape ofgases or fumes through said slot, said trough being integral with" thepart of the wall on one side of the slot and the edge portion of thewall on the other side or the wall being turned downwardly and extendinginto the liquid when the trough is filled, the portion of thearticle-supporting members which passes through said liquid being ofU-shape whereby it may clear said downwardly extending edge of saidwall.

7. In a processing machine, an enclosure through which the articles tobe treated are passed and in which they are treated, a conveyor movablymounted above said enclosure for transporting such articles through theenclosure with most of the conveyor structure on the outside slot.

WALLACE HERDLEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 905,047 Bascom Nov. 24, 19082,374,535 Gibson Apr. 24, 1945

